Oscillating spreading arrangement for a combine harvester

Abstract

A combine harvester includes a straw chopper having an inlet for unchopped straw, an outlet for chopped straw in an essentially horizontal direction, and a spreader fan, connected downstream of the outlet of the straw chopper and having an essentially horizontal plane of rotation, for spreading the chopped straw over a ground surface. The combine harvester further includes a guide member, which is arranged to deflect at least a part of the stream of chopped straw material to an axial intake of the spreader fan such that a part of chopped straw material meets the blades of the spreader fan in the direction of transport of the chopped straw material through the spreader fan at an acute angle (α) relative to the plane of rotation of the spreader fan.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A spreading arrangement adapted to be arranged after a straw chopper of a combine harvester, said spreading arrangement comprising:
 two spreader fans; and 
 a spreading assembly,
 including two spreading surfaces and two shafts, wherein the two spreading surfaces are arranged to swing in tandem, wherein one of the two spreading surfaces is pivotally suspended about one of the two shafts, and wherein the other spreading surface is pivotally suspended about the other of the two shafts, 
 said spreading assembly disposed downstream of said two spreader fans such that the spreading assembly controls the spreading of straws after the straws have left the two spreader fans, and 
 said spreading assembly operable to move in an oscillating frequency so as to spread at least a part of chopped straws at the oscillating frequency, wherein the spreading assembly is configured to oscillate along a plane that is parallel to a plane of rotation of the two spreading fans, and wherein the two shafts are parallel with and do not coincide with the spreader fans' rotation axes. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The spreading arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein said spreading surfaces are flat. 
     
     
       3. The spreading arrangement of  claim 1 , further including a flywheel coupled to said spreading assembly to convert rotational movement of said flywheel into a swinging motion of said shafts. 
     
     
       4. The spreading arrangement of  claim 3 , wherein said oscillating frequency of said spreading assembly is adjustable based at least in-part on rotation of said flywheel. 
     
     
       5. The spreading arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein said two spreader fans are configured to rotate in opposite rotational directions to guide the chopped straw towards a back end of said combine harvester. 
     
     
       6. The spreading arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein said two spreader fans are positioned at a level vertically above and downstream from an outlet of said straw chopper to allow the chopped straw to be received by said two spreader fans from a bottom side thereof. 
     
     
       7. The spreading arrangement of  claim 1 , further including a baffle plate along a portion of a periphery of said spreader fans to form a structure that closes off access to said spreader fans on mutually facing sides of said spreader fans, wherein another portion of the periphery of said spreader fans that is not covered by said baffle plate allows chaff to be admitted into said spreader fans on sides facing away from each other. 
     
     
       8. The spreading arrangement of  claim 1 , further including a guide plate for guiding at least part of said chopped straw into said spreader fans. 
     
     
       9. The spreading arrangement of  claim 8 , wherein said guide plate includes multiple sections that together form said guide plate symmetrical about a line of symmetry of said combine harvester. 
     
     
       10. The spreading arrangement of  claim 1 , wherein each spreading surface extends from a corresponding shaft. 
     
     
       11. A spreading arrangement adapted to be arranged after a straw chopper of a combine harvester, said spreading arrangement comprising:
 two spreader fans; 
 a spreading assembly,
 including two spreading surfaces and two shafts, wherein the two spreading surfaces are arranged to swing in tandem, wherein one of the two spreading surfaces is pivotally suspended about one of the two shafts, and wherein the other spreading surface is pivotally suspended about the other of the two shafts, 
 said spreading assembly disposed downstream of said two spreader fans such that the spreading assembly controls the spreading of straws after the straws have left the two spreader fans, and 
 said spreading assembly operable to move in an oscillating frequency so as to spread at least a part of chopped straws at suitable frequency; and 
 
 a guide plate for guiding at least part of said chopped straws into said spreader fans, wherein said guide plate is positioned below said straw chopper, and wherein the two shafts are parallel with and do not coincide with the spreader fans' rotation axes. 
 
     
     
       12. The spreading arrangement of  claim 11 , wherein said guide plate includes multiple sections that together form said guide plate symmetrical about a line of symmetry of said combine harvester. 
     
     
       13. The spreading arrangement of  claim 11 , wherein said spreading surfaces are flat. 
     
     
       14. The spreading arrangement of  claim 11 , further including a flywheel coupled to said spreading assembly to convert rotational movement of said flywheel into a swinging motion of said shafts. 
     
     
       15. The spreading arrangement of  claim 11 , wherein said oscillating frequency of said spreading assembly is adjustable based at least in-part on rotation of said flywheel. 
     
     
       16. The spreading arrangement of  claim 11 , wherein said two spreader fans are configured to rotate in opposite rotational directions to guide chopped straw towards a back end of said combine harvester. 
     
     
       17. The spreading arrangement of  claim 11 , wherein the spreading assembly is configured to oscillate along a plane that is parallel to a plane of rotation of the two spreading fans. 
     
     
       18. The spreading arrangement of  claim 11 , wherein said two spreader fans are positioned at a level vertically above and downstream from an outlet of said straw chopper to allow the chopped straw to be received by said two spreader fans from a bottom side thereof. 
     
     
       19. The spreading arrangement of  claim 11 , further including a baffle plate along a portion of a periphery of said spreader fans to form a structure that closes off access to said spreader fans on mutually facing sides of said spreader fans, wherein another portion of the periphery of said spreader fans that is not covered by said baffle plate allows chaff to be admitted into said spreader fans on sides facing away from each other. 
     
     
       20. The spreading arrangement of  claim 11 , wherein each spreading surface extends from a corresponding shaft.